You begin to understand how terribly sick is your country when the only time your intellectuals invest massive energy and time to defend rule of law is when a corrupt person or big law breaker is involved. Otherwise, most of us just sit back as if it is acceptable culture of the land. Since the common man has no value worth expending intellectual energy on.
Hundreds of abuse of process are experienced daily across the country among the ordinary citizens that require tenable legal support. Hundreds of people are detained illegally every month as some are made to pay unnecessary "bail" and "fine" for being wrongly arrested . The wanton violation of law and procedural violations are more common among us especially where someone is actually innocent and punished unfairly.
Our rule of law advocates only find their voices (except of course, a very few of them) when looters and politicians are found wanting. This is a bad sign.
By the way, why should people who didn't follow rule of law be accorded same dignity when the same law they enacted caught up with them? Why should someone loot or mismanage the resources meant for millions of people, many of who either lost belongings or their lives, be shouting rule of law when he is called to account for a misdeed? And why should I line up behind either side of the divides when there are dozens of people around who are daily facing injustice by the same law that is supposed to protect them; and they have no voice to echo their travails before the hearing world.... But we can only shake our head in sadness and disgust and mutter, "this country"?!
I am for the rule of law any day; but the selective application to defend the political class who actually abused the system and made mockery of our collective values is a sham. The best way to stop the abuse of rule of law is to ensure that our law is all encompassing. There is no way I would go and carry placard for person accused of mismanagement of people resources when there are dozens innocent people that are wrong accused but couldn't find justice because they are common men.
I look forward to a day the political class would passionately defend and protect the right of ordinary citizens for fair hearing, and champion, insists on rule of law application for everyone from bus conductors to pepper sellers on the streets. It is only after this that I can join in the cacophony of noises debating the right and wrong way to try people who abuse political privilege.
Hundreds of abuse of process are experienced daily across the country among the ordinary citizens that require tenable legal support. Hundreds of people are detained illegally every month as some are made to pay unnecessary "bail" and "fine" for being wrongly arrested . The wanton violation of law and procedural violations are more common among us especially where someone is actually innocent and punished unfairly.
Our rule of law advocates only find their voices (except of course, a very few of them) when looters and politicians are found wanting. This is a bad sign.
By the way, why should people who didn't follow rule of law be accorded same dignity when the same law they enacted caught up with them? Why should someone loot or mismanage the resources meant for millions of people, many of who either lost belongings or their lives, be shouting rule of law when he is called to account for a misdeed? And why should I line up behind either side of the divides when there are dozens of people around who are daily facing injustice by the same law that is supposed to protect them; and they have no voice to echo their travails before the hearing world.... But we can only shake our head in sadness and disgust and mutter, "this country"?!
I am for the rule of law any day; but the selective application to defend the political class who actually abused the system and made mockery of our collective values is a sham. The best way to stop the abuse of rule of law is to ensure that our law is all encompassing. There is no way I would go and carry placard for person accused of mismanagement of people resources when there are dozens innocent people that are wrong accused but couldn't find justice because they are common men.
I look forward to a day the political class would passionately defend and protect the right of ordinary citizens for fair hearing, and champion, insists on rule of law application for everyone from bus conductors to pepper sellers on the streets. It is only after this that I can join in the cacophony of noises debating the right and wrong way to try people who abuse political privilege.
#echoofmymind
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